Is milk really that good for you?
We’ve all grown up with the adage that you should really be drinking enough milk because it’s so good for you and essential in keeping you healthy. Especially in Western Europe people can’t get enough of this white beverage. Many people see it as one of the most important things for the human body.
It keeps our bones healthy because of the amounts of calcium and vitamin D.
Effectiveness
A study conducted by Bart Groen, from the Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, shows that milk is much better for you than people previously assumed. This has to do with the protein it contains, which is one of the most important building blocks for your body. The study describes very specifically what kind of effect consuming protein has on building muscles. It turns out that the effect is biggest when we’re asleep!
Protein shakes
For his research, Bart Groen administered protein to his test subjects while they were sleeping. This technique isn’t very innovative in itself, the scientist admits. “At one point in time, bodybuilders from the USA drank protein shakes in the middle of the night and then continued sleeping.” This turned out to work very well. But how well exactly? And why at night? This had never been really researched before.
Protein
Bart Groen explains that the body is completely at rest at night. “It might seem as if the body isn’t very active, but it’s actually very busy with repair work throughout.” In other words: by consuming protein via milk right before bed, you’ll build up your muscles super quickly. The test subjects had a huge muscle build up (relatively speaking) without having to do anything, except sleeping. First he used a probe to directly administer the protein, but later he just gave his subjects a glass of milk, because of the protein it contains. He was able to measure exactly what happened to the muscle mass: 11 percent of the protein in a glass of milk were used to create muscle tissue.
Muscle mass
The result is especially interesting for people who are ill a lot, or elderly people who suffer from ailments, according to Groen. “When you have the flu and are down and out on the sofa for a couple of days, you lose about a kilo and a half of your muscle mass. You won’t get that back very easily.” Conclusion: do you want to become stronger? Drink two glasses of milk before going to sleep!
Read more: Cut into a lemon and put it next to your bed. Why? Everyone should try this!
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Source: RTL Nieuws | Image: pxhere